


Last Chance

by undermyumbreon



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 13:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15487122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undermyumbreon/pseuds/undermyumbreon
Summary: A baseball AU (OMG Checked Swing, Please!). I may return to this and add more. Sorry for not tagging this story like I usually do with my other fics. I need to finish some other fics before giving this any more attention.





	Last Chance

     Of course it ended up like this.  
    Two outs. Ninth inning of the seventh game in the World Series. His team was losing by one run in a 5 to 4 score. It was down to the fucking wire at this point.  
    The Aces had struggled for years to even make it to the Divisional Series. Their World Series history wasn’t the worst in either league, but it had been a long enough drought to leave the team with an unsavory reputation. Headlines always labeled them as the ‘underdog’ with each new playoff round. Fans loved a good comeback story though, but Kent was afraid he wouldn’t be able to deliver the ending that they wanted as he stepped up to the plate.  
    As if there wasn’t enough pressure already, yards away from him stood the only pitcher who could truly make this situation worse.  
_Jack Zimmerman_ was the one pitching to him tonight.  
_Jack Zimmerman_ was staring at him with his beady eyes poking out between the glove covering his mouth and the rim of his hat shading his face.  
_Jack Zimmerman_ , who Kent had played baseball with for years all through their youth into the Minor League.  
_Jack Zimmerman_ , who he had kissed, comforted, and loved.  
_Jack Zimmerman_ , who he had hurt, scolded, and dismissed.  
    _Jack Zimmerman_ , who he had almost lost to a drug overdose and learned what fear truly meant.  
_Jack Zimmerman_ , who Kent knew he had wronged, but also had been wronged by.  
    _Jack Zimmerman_ , who Kent missed dearly with _every_ fiber of his being.  
    Kent would have rather played against the best pitcher currently in both leagues then Jack. He would have taken a ball travelling a hundred miles per hour to the leg or the arm before batting against Jack. Kent would have rather been suspended from the first twenty games of his next season then face Jack. But, here he was, against _Jack_ on what was currently the most important day in Kent’s baseball career.  
    The first pitch was a low ball to the outside. Kent could take a breath. He had a chance. He just needed to stay focused. He could do this if he just fixated on the ball and not on who was pitching it.  
    Any hope that was built up was diminished immediately. A slider made Kent swing and miss. The next pitch was a fastball that kissed the invisible boundary of the base. The count racked up to 1 – 2. _Fuck_.  
    Taking his bat, Kent drew a vertical line down the middle of the base, touching its perimeter. He took a long, deep breath before resetting his batting posture. Jack glared back at him fiercely when Kent looked up into the outfield.  
Jack’s pitching form was probably the most elegant thing ever seen on the field in Kent’s opinion. For a well-built man, Jack knew how to deliver flawless technique. It captivated Kent as he watched Jack wind up his body and push forward on the mound in one swift motion. The ball left Jack’s hand at a rapid speed. Kent clenched his grip on the bat, his own foot taking the lead as the bat swung its way around-  
    The sound of the baseball smacking the inside of the catcher’s glove rang in Kent’s ears. A yelp followed suit and he immediately felt something in his stomach drop with a sickening haste. The roar of the crowd was deafening and he could feel the vibrations channel throughout his body. The ground below him looked blurry.  
_Shit, shit,_ **SHIT**!  
The head of Kent’s bat collided violently with the dirt. His face burned with anger and embarrassment. He bit on his lip in hopes to stop any tears from forming in his eyes as he forced his heavy legs to move. The Aces had _lost_ and it was _his_ fault.  
    When Kent looked back up at the field, Jack was sprinting towards home plate. Kent hopped around on his feet, instinctively sliding back towards his dugout. Jack must be headed straight for his catcher and Kent did not want to get caught in the middle of it.  
    As Kent changed his direction, so did Jack. Alarms went off in Kent’s head as the other man drew near.  
    _What the hell is he doing!?_ Kent fearfully thought as he shuffled away.  
    Jack caught up to him. Before Kent could say a word or move, Jack suddenly embraced him, sending Kent slightly off-balance. His hands lost their grip on his bat and helmet, causing them to crash onto the grass. Planting his feet down firmly, Kent looked up at Jack with hysteria painted in his eyes. The taller man proceeded to lay his head onto Kent’s shoulder.  
    “I’m sorry,” Jack whispered into his ear, his breathing labored.  
    Kent’s heart skipped a beat. Jack’s grip tightened around his torso, sending a tingling sensation up Kent’s spine. Kent could feel Jack’s sweaty hair brush against his neck. He completely forgot where he was as the brunet enraptured him.  
    “Good game, _Kenny_ …”  
    And then, he was gone. Jack was jogging back towards the mound where his teammates had gathered to congratulate him. He was greeted with enthusiastic embraces and rambunctious cheering. He had never looked happier in his life, Kent thought.  
    Kent didn’t stop the tears from falling then.


End file.
